SAE closed until further notice

After a Feb. 3 party was busted by the IU Police Department leading to a suspension from its national organization less than a week later, the IU chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon had the opportunity to rejoin the greek community next fall. Those plans were scrapped Wednesday as the fraternity's nationals closed the chapter until further notice.\nSAE joins Theta Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha on the list of IU fraternity's that have been kicked off campus since the beginning of the 2001-2002 school year. \nIn a press release, the national organization stated the chapter is to be restructured "to better meet the mission of the Fraternity and the expectations of the University and chapter alumni."\nThe SAE nationals also said any activity at IU under the name of SAE is unauthorized and could hurt the chapter's chances of returning to the Bloomington campus.\n"All parties involved recognized that the ideals of our creed and ritual were not being met, and many of the young men had a different vision of what Sigma Alpha Epsilon was to be," SAE Executive Director, Tom Goodale said in the release. \nDean of Students, Dick McKaig, said the decision came solely from the national organization, but the University was involved in the discussions concerning the sanctions and offers its full support of the decision.\nMcKaig said, from his assessment, the actions taken by the chapter since its suspension were not in the direction the nationals and the University had hoped. McKaig also said the University would have looked into the actions of the chapter if the national organization would not have taken this action.\n"There was concern the chapter was not responding to the need for improvement," McKaig said. \n"(IU) understands and appreciates the action (nationals) has taken." \nAlex Redmond, director for publications for the SAE national organization, said the main concern was of alcohol usage and hazing by members and pledges. He also said the members were notified of the decision made by SAE alumni, the fraternity's service center and the University.\nSAE chapter President, junior Robert Guiser, said when the members were told of the decision, many were left in shock. \n"People's jaws dropped, guys were crying, everyone was upset; it was pretty traumatic," Guiser said. \nAs far as the timeliness of the decision, Guiser said it could have been handled better because it is finals week and current members are scrambling to find whatever housing is left for the next school year.\n"(Nationals) left us hanging out in the open, picking up crumbs of whatever is left of housing," he said. "They didn't handle it as well as they should have. They didn't give us proper notification. It's not up to me to decide if it's fair or justified. It's up to nationals and the University, and they felt it was the best for them." \n"Guys are disappointed we can't live with each other on a day to day basis, but nothing's changed. We all feel we are the closest group of brothers on this campus. They can shut down SAE but they can't shut down gamma."\nWith SAE becoming the third fraternity to be kicked off campus this school year, the Inter Fraternity Council has been developing programs to combat specific problems that arise from housing closures, IFC President, Colin Godecke, said. One such program is Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS). The mandatory program is to prevent situations where an individual may binge drink. \n"We want to lower the probability of a greek house being removed due to alcohol," Godecke said.\nFor now, the SAE chapter that was founded in 1907 does not have a specified date as to its return. The press release issued by nationals said stakeholders will meet to determine when the chapter will be readmitted to campus, but the earliest possible date for the reorganizing of the chapter will be fall 2003.\n"(SAE will) try to get back as quick as they can, but they cannot guarantee it will be that soon," Redmond said.